My loyal reader may be familiar with the occasional ‘My Top Three’ feature, where I choose my top three things, usually songs. Sometimes, I find it quite easy, at least in terms of my top two songs. The third can be chosen on the basis of making up the number to three, an example being my favourite Police songs, which are Wrapped Around Your Finger, King Of Pain and A N Other, which is often, though not always, Invisible Sun. Some top threes are all but impossible. One I have not even tried yet is my top three cover versions. Because it really is as good as impossible.
My favourite cover never, ever changes, at least not until now. Since 1975, it’s been John Lennon’s cover of Stand By Me, originally made famous by Ben E King. I remember the song being debuted on BBC’s The Old Grey Whistle Test and it confirmed to me – and yes, I know it’s just my opinion – that Lennon was the greatest pure rock and roll singer of all time. Ironic, then, that Stand By Me comes from his Rock ‘N’ Roll album, unquestionably, again in my opinion, the greatest covers album of all time. Now, a brand new cover of a classic song tops my list. It has blown my mind.
There are various types of cover versions but I’ll narrow it down to two. First, there’s the absolutely pointless cover version like The Christians’ version of the Isley Brothers’ Harvest For The World, which is essentially a lazy almost identical rehash of the original. Other than to guarantee an easy hit record – it is, after all, a great song – I found the whole thing reeked of cynicism and ultimately emptiness, which is a shame because ultimately they’re a very good band. Second, there’s the cover version which is completely different to the original and would have required great thought and innovation to create, so much so that it’s almost a new song. Think of the Isley Brothers and Summer Breeze, written by folkies Seals and Crofts, a simply magnificent cover version which sees the band on top form. Indeed, while we’re on the Isley Brothers theme, how about the Housemartins’ brilliant cover of their Caravan of Love. That, I put it to you the jury, is how to do it. Now Fontaines D.C. have made a cover version of a song which is a million miles away from the original, which was utterly beautiful in itself, which I simply can’t stop singing.
Nick Drake was a wonderful singer songwriter who made three beautiful acoustic based albums from 1969 to 1972. Tragically, he died two years later aged 26 and his music remained largely unknown until 1999 when Volkswagen used his song Pink Moon to advertise a new car. From selling 6000 copies of his albums in 1999, 74,000 were sold the year after. To my deep shame, it took me much, much longer but I am completely on board now. It’s an enduring tragedy that his short life, which was ravaged by his poor mental health on top of chronic shyness, ended far too soon.
Later this year, a four-sided album of Nick Drake covers, called The Endless Coloured Ways, by various artists is to be released and I am very excited about it, especially if Fontaines D.C’s version of ‘Cello Song is anything to go by. The first time I heard it, I was stunned. It was definitely ‘Cello Song, written by Nick Drake, but the Fontaines had transformed it into something else. Now, it is easily, by some considerable distance, my favourite cover version of all time, at least until something else takes over.
What’s your favourite cover version?
‘Cello Song
Strange face
With your eyes
So pale and sincere
Underneath you know well
You have nothing to fear
For the dreams that came
To you when so young
Told of a life
Where spring is sprung
You would seem so frail
In the cold of the night
When the armies of emotion
Go out to fight
But while the earth
Sinks to it’s grave
You sail to the sky
On the crest of a wave
So forget this cruel world
Where I belong
I’ll just sit and wait
And sing my song
And if one day you should see me in the crowd
Lend a hand and lift me
To your place in the cloud
